Austin
by manga-duo
Summary: Hilde moves to Austin and then realizes she needs Duo. 2xH


Disclaimer- I don't own Gundam Wing or this song.   
Austin   
  
  
She left without leavin' a number   
Said she needed to clear her mind   
He figured she'd gone back to Austin   
'Cause she talked about it all the time   
It was almost a year before she called him up   
Three rings and an answering machine is what she got   
    
  
Hilde closed her suitcase with an empty click, her chapped fingers grazing against the hard, cold leather. A few stray tears floundered down her pale cheeks, and her hair was frizzed and unruly. She gingerly picked up her luggage bearing the few items that she owned, and coldly stepped pass the threshold into the silent hall. Just a month ago the house had been full of laughter and kinship, but a month was like a year to her. Time was all the same without him there with her, without his flirtatious grin everywhere she looked. She pushed the memories away and briskly dragged her luggage to the awaiting taxi, her shoes clicking against the crumbling pavement. Carelessly tossing her bags in the trunk, she turned around and took one last look at her home, no longer warm and loving but cold and unyielding. Slamming the trunk shut, she yanked her purse strap out and sat in the back of the cab, ringing her hands. She was leaving her life behind.   
  
After the taxi came to a screeching halt, the driver roughly jabbed a finger at the money meter, indicating that she should pay. Hilde dug her hand around in her purse and dropped a wrinkled ten into his waiting palm and climbed out of the cab. Striding to the back of the car, she lifted her luggage and stood to the side, her resolve fading. There could be a chance that… "No." she muttered, fighting away the little ray of hope shining in her brain. A small child looked at her and continued walking, anxious to get away from her. An ironic smile slowly played on her thin lips and she picked up her bags and strolled on. Upon reaching the heavy metal doors, she had to open them with her foot, which proved quite a problem with heels on. I never wore clothes like this when he was around… the little voice whispered, bringing the burning sensation to her eyes. Rapidly blinking, she stumbled up to the desk. "When is your flight?" an attendant breathed at her, his nasal voice ringing loudly in her ears. She glanced at her watch. "In thirty minutes." The attendant smiled and typed something into his computer, finally informing her of what she already knew. "Ah, Austin, beautiful place. To crowded for my liking. Ok, will you step over here so we can check your luggage…?"   
  
  
Hilde stepped off the shuttle, cheery voices reaching her ears as relatives rushed forth to greet the passengers. She half expected someone to come up to her and give her a hug and a smile, but no one came. As she neared the docking gate she noticed a man passing out newspapers, a crowd of people babbling around him. She stepped up to him and he passed her a paper, his cheesy smile targeting her. "Are you new here?" he inquired, his phony cheerfulness irritating her. "No." she replied curtly, turning toward the building and walking away. For a split second she felt warm presence hang over her, and the next it was gone. She whirled around, but all she saw was the phony man and the crowd, but she could have sworn she saw an all too familiar braid….   
  
Hilde stepped out of the bustling airport and into the street, an all too familiar building set in her mind's eye. Subconsciously she waved down a taxi and was there, it seemed, in seconds. She was pulled out of her daze when she glanced at the familiar apartment building, the cozy place where she grew up. It was no longer warm and handsome, it was now dirty and in shambles. The walls were covered in graffiti; half of the windows were boarded up. She could hear a baby crying, the sound echoing from a screen-less window. Her eyes itched with memories, but this time she let it go. Everything was going to fast. She was now a traitor to Oz….her identity was fake…her happy child memories were shattered once she saw this…this building….and Duo….Duo! Gone….After a few minutes of sobbing, she gathered herself up. Bringing her hand to her face to wipe away her tears, her eyes widened when she saw the paper she still clutched. Slowly smoothing it out, she read it with despair.   
  
GUNDAM PILOTS STILL MISSING   
Oz has revealed today that the five gundam pilot's have been reported missing for an unknown amount of time, now they are to be considered dead. As of late the Deathscythe has been destroyed along with 04's Mobile Suit. No news yet if other pilots still remain, but hope is scarce that they will ever show up.   
- Neville Mcarthney   
  
She gripped the edges of the letter, possessed with an unwanted knowledge. It was obvious he was dead, but reading it just confirmed her fears. Dead. Like everyone else who she got close to…loved…dead.   
  
  
  
If you're callin' 'bout the car I sold it   
If this is Tuesday night I'm bowling   
If you've got somethin' to sell, you're wastin' your time, I'm not buyin'   
If it's anybody else, wait for the tone,   
You know what to do   
And P.S. if this is Austin,   
I still love you   
  
  
It was two months later when Hilde found herself waking up to the dull rhythm of her alarm. "Unh…" She moaned, slamming her hand down on the cheap plastic button, her hand aching dully from the slight impact. Shielding her eyes with her arm, she slowly pushed the thin sheets back, slamming her bare feet on the cold splintery wood floor. Limping to the tiny bathroom, she went through the movements of the morning, taking a shower and brushing her teeth and her short hair, getting dressed. Feeling slightly refreshed, she strode into the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee. As she sipped the simmering Java, she slowly shuffled her mail, tossing bills carelessly over her shoulder. Pausing to take a breath from the coffee, she mumbled softly to herself. "Bill, taxes, bill, bill, hmm, magazine, letter?!" Totally bewildered, she slowly sat down at her small Japanese-styled table, folding her legs under her. A small fear crept darkly into her thoughts, what if oz found her? What if it was a threat letter? She shook her head and slowly ripped the edge of the letter. The fear evaporated as she saw an untidy scrawl, much unlike oz's neat style. It almost looked like… Growling, she erased the stray thought from her hopeful mind. He was dead. Blinking rapidly, she waited until her eyes cleared. Bringing the letter to the light, she read.   
  
Dear Ms.Schbeiker (are you still single?),   
  
Damn, this is hard. I have no idea what went on, but I am starting to catch on. I returned to the scrap yard last week, I know I made you wait a few months but I did come home. I was broke to find you were gone, everything just fell. I left after a week, I had to return to the battle field, but ever since then I have been searching for you. I should have known you'd be in Austin, I remember you talking to me about it when we first met. I haven't seen you for four months (it's been a long time, ne?) And I think you've forgotten about me. Or maybe you think I'm dead? I hope this proves otherwise. Anyway babe, I hope you want to see me as much as I see you (I need someone to talk to too, Heero isn't capable of speech) I think you know the number.   
  
I'll wait for you,   
Duo   
  
Hilde choked, the fateful letter falling to the floor. "Duo!" she squealed girlishly, her voice strained and torn. All of a sudden her dream of living a successful life in the big city seemed cold and lonely. Her life had come back together; she had something to live for again. "Alive…"she whispered feverishly, reading the note again. Slowly rising to her feet, she wasted no time in packing her clothes and her money, the once heavy suitcases unusually light in her ecstatic fever. Carefully she placed the note on top of her folded blouses, and slammed the lid shut, catching her finger in the clasp. "SHIT!" She screamed, her crushed finger refusing to move… or bend. Her eyes watering, she ran back into the kitchen and grabbed an ice pack, wrapping it to her finger with the telephone cord. She rushed back into her small bedroom and grabbed her things, frantic to get back to L2, back to Duo.   
  
  
    
The telephone fell to the counter   
She heard but she couldn't believe   
What kind of man would hang on that long   
What kind of love that must be   
She waited three days, and then she tried again   
She didn't know what she'd say,   
But she heard three rings and then   
  
Hilde stepped off of the space shuttle, wincing against the artificial glare of the L2 sun. She walked passed the annoying nasal clerk and out the door, hailing a taxi zealously, her hand waving frantically back and forth. A cab pulled over in a matter of moments and she plopped in, grinning like there was no tomorrow. "Where to?" the driver growled, impatience evident in his hoarse voice. Hilde arranged her beret and responded. "The L2 scrap yard." The cabby chuckled like she was crazy, but he still drove her there. She threw money at him in a crude manner and grabbed her bags. Running and stumbling, she threw herself towards the small house her and Duo shared, would be sharing again. Once she reached the door, she grabbed for the handle and a sharp pain raced through her arm. Holding back a scream, she chanced a glance at her hand and almost smacked herself. Her finger! It was swelled to the width of a bruat and was a nasty shade of black and blue. Biting back her pain, she knocked on the door with her other hand, hope shining in her eyes. The door opened, but it wasn't Duo who was staring back at her.   
  
"Who are you?" The boy asked, his shaded face cold and unyielding. Feeling intimidated, she stared back and replied, "I'm Hilde. Is Duo here?" The cold boy stared at her in a calculating manner, and slowly opened the door wider to admit her in. Slowly stepping past him, she made her way to the familiar living room, where the boy motioned for her to sit down. Feeling like a stranger in her own home, she heeded his silent command and perched on the arm of the recliner, waiting for him to talk, to give her some sort of explanation. He stayed standing, silent and foreboding. Feeling bolder, Hilde tried to make conversation. "Who are you?" she asked loudly, running her hand along the familiar fabric of the chair. The boy grunted at this inquisition, as if he thought her foolish, but answered, "Heero Yuy." Recognition set in Hilde's mind; he was the pilot of zero one. Forcing herself to speak again, she took a different route. "Where's Duo?" Heero responded without hesitation, his monotonous voice revealing no emotion. "He's in his room, recuperating from some battle wounds he received yesterday." Hilde's eyes widened. He…he got hurt! Not waiting for any further conversation, she quickly stood up and headed to Duo's room. Pressing her ear against the door, she was rewarded with the sounds of rustling sheets. Shaking with anticipation, she slowly pushed the door in. Stepping in, she closed the door behind her. Labored breathing filled her ears and the smell of bile was present in the dim room. Adjusting her eyes to the scarce light, her stomach wrenched when her eyes set on Duo's huddled form, twisted with the covers. "D-duo?" she squeaked, her voice wavering with painful uncertainty. She didn't want to see him like this, all sick and broken. It broke her heart just to think of him in this state, but the reality was killing her. Creeping over to his bed, she ran her fingers over his sweaty brow, recoiling at the touch of his hot skin. She took a deep breath and sat on the edge, stroking his arm. After what seemed like forever, Heero's voice cut her thoughts, the harshness in his words making her furious. "I think he needs his sleep now." He said, opening the door and letting the light invade the dark room. Hilde felt Duo recoil against the sudden light, and she stood up and marched past Heero, pushing him away from the door and shutting it gently. She turned on Heero, her anger finally getting the best of her. "Why are you letting him sitting there in a fever? Do you want him to die? You should have been in there with him, helping him along!" She glared heavily at him, daring him to respond. For a split second Heero's eyes glazed over in some sort of mixed emotion, but he did not say anything. He simply walked to the living room, and Hilde could hear the front door slam. Sighing, she brushed her hands up to her face. What had she moved in to?   
  
  
If it's Friday night I'm at the ballgame   
And first thing Saturday, if it don't rain   
I'm headed out to the lake   
And I'll be gone, all weekend long   
But I'll call you back when I get home   
On Sunday afternoon   
And P.S. If this is Austin,   
I still love you   
  
Hilde sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. Heero had not returned after an hour, but she knew he'd be back. His stuff was still here, organized in a precise manner in the guest room. Duo had still not wakened up, but he was no longer sweating, which Hilde decided was a good thing. Running her hands through her navy blue hair, her breath came out shuddered and heavy. A loud moan reached her from Duo's room, and she leapt up in alarm. "Duo?" She yelled, running into his room. He was convulsing on his bed, but not from sickness. "Good-bye, S-solo….Sister…Sister H-Helen…" He whispered feverishly, his voice filled with defeat and longing. Hilde choked back a sob and rushed to the side of his bed. He was having the same dream he had almost every night before she left, the dream she woke up to so many nights. She curled up beside him and stroked his hair lovingly, like she used to do. His fitful tossing stopped, but he still had tears steaming down his flushed cheeks. Wiping them off, Hilde cooed a lullaby her mother used to purr to her before bedtime. "Quiet, shone leibchen, rest your eyes, love, sleep soundly, my baby, my treasure, my love…" Hilde's head drooped after crooning the melancholy melody a few times, and her eyelids felt like lead. Cuddling closer to Duo she fell asleep, content and warm.   
  
Hilde slowly opened her eyes; it felt like she had slept for years. She started to get up, but found herself pinned down by two strong arms intertwined loosely around her slender waist. Grinning like a fool, she leaned back into Duo's warm chest, sighing contentedly. She lied there for a few minutes, listening to his irregular breathing, delighting in the way his breath tickled the back of her neck. She buried her face in his neck, smelling his musky scent. This is where she belonged. Savoring the rich silence, she almost jumped in shock when Duo's soft voice sounded in her ear, his breath making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "Welcome back, babe…I'm glad you read your mail."   
    
Well, this time she left her number   
But not another word   
Then she waited by the phone on Sunday evenin'   
And this is what he heard   
If you're callin' 'bout my heart   
It's still yours   
I should've listened to it a little more   
Then it wouldn't have taken me so long to know where I belong   
And by the way, boy, this is no machine you're talkin' to   
Can't you tell, this is Austin, and I still love you   
I still love you   
  
Heero crept into Duo's house; he didn't want another confrontation from Hilde again. She was quite the controversial one. He checked his watch. 5:00 am. Deciding Hilde wouldn't be awake at this unholy hour, he made his mind up to check and see how Duo was faring. Sneaking stealthily past Hilde's door, he didn't bother knocking on Duo's. Peeking his head in inquisitively, he quickly extracted it. He did not need to see his best friend making out with his girlfriend this early in the morning. Yawning, he made his way into the guest room, preparing for the next mission. 


End file.
